The Niagara News is the community newspaper of Niagara College located in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is created and produced by the students of the Niagara College Journalism program.

Puck ready to drop at Meridian Centre for IIHF Women’s World Championships

By TANDI CHABWAStaff WriterThe puck drops on the 2016 U18 World Women’s Championships at the Meridian Centre tomorrow as St. Catharines hosts the best young international hockey players in the world. Canada plays in the last of four games Friday against Russia. Teams from eight countries will compete in the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) Under-18 Women’s World Championship that runs Jan. 8-15. The tournament is projected to bring $4 million to the city and province. Tournament organizers hit a small rut in the ice this morning but recovered nicely by the end of the day. Team practices were delayed, with some moved to alternate venues following an issue with the logos painted on the ice. The rink had to be flooded multiple times to get the ice up to standard. “We had a little bit of a problem with the ice when we were putting the logos on,” says Bill Fenwick, event chair of the championships. “Having the logos put on and then water put over top of it to freeze it took a bit longer than we anticipated. We had some problems with the machinery, but that’s been fixed. We transferred some teams over to other arenas to get their practices in and by noon today, everything was back on schedule.” The last minute change of schedule didn’t dampen the excitement felt throughout the arena once the teams finally got out onto the ice. Canada plays again Saturday against the Czech Republic. Relegation and quarter final play begins on Monday